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Sonoco Paper Mill
The Sonoco Paper Mill was a large complex of buildings in Downingtown, Pennsylvania. It appeared in several of Scott's films, and served as a filming location for The Legend of the Creepy Guy in the Woods and Bread's Crumbs 4: Mass Consumption. The mill was in operation until 2005, when a large fire forced the complex to shut down. From December 2017 to January 2018, the entire mill was demolished to make way for new buildings in the area. History Founding and Success In the 1880s, Frank P. Miller had the paper mill constructed in Downingtown, as paper milling was a flourishing industry there. Originally called the Frank P. Miller Paper Company, the mill found great success due to its proximity to a nearby railroad, which allowed for more efficient shipping. A year after Miller passed away, in 1924, the mill's name was changed to the Downingtown Paper Company, or "Dopaco" for short. In the next few decades, the mill continued to thrive as its sales increased. In 1968, the mill was sold to the Sonoco Products Company. Fire and Closure For over a century, the mill remained a prominent industry in Downingtown. Yet on March 20, 2005, a devastating fire started in the mill, which resulted in over $500,000 in property damage. Sonoco tried keeping the mill open, but was ultimately forced to shut it down for numerous reasons, namely the extensive damage and the costs to repair it. Abandoned State Over the next decade, many people would make their way into the abandoned complex, curious of what was inside. In December 2015, a photographer in the mill died after a fall, which heightened concerns about people being in the complex. It was fenced off from the public, though people were still able to get inside. In April 2016, future president Donald Trump tweeted about the mill, expressing sadness over the loss of the "vibrant manufacturing area". Over the next two years, developers and officials worked to have the abandoned mill torn down and construct new buildings in its place. Filming The Sonoco Paper Mill made numerous appearances in Scott's films starting in 2016. Its first appearance was in Bread's Crumbs 3: Scrub Slam, although it was unintentional and rather obscure. The mill appeared in the distance during the vision scene between Captain Jumpa and Glen Tennis, which was filmed on the Downingtown Trestle Bridge. as Captain Jumpa in Bread's Crumbs 3; the smokestacks of the mill are in the distance, on the right of the picture. ]] Scott hoped to use the paper mill as a location for The Legend of the Creepy Guy in the Woods. He did a location scout of the mill prior to filming, and he later shot one of the film's ending scenes in the mill in early-December 2016. This marked the first major appearance of the mill in one of Scott's films, as opposed to it appearing in the distance. In April 2017, the smokestacks of the mill were repeatedly seen in The Machine of Munich, which was filmed fairly close to the complex. In May 2017, Scott began filming Bread's Crumbs 4: Mass Consumption. After deciding to incoporate Chernobyl into the film's plot, Scott opted to use the paper mill as a stand-in location. Once more, he filmed in the complex that month. Dan Brusilovsky released an exploration video of the mill on his YouTube channel on May 21. The mill made its last appearance in Scott's films in The Trial of Munich: The Machine of Munich II, which was filmed and released in November 2017, less than a month before demolition began. Once more, the smokestacks of the mill were often visible in the distance. Had the mill not been demolished, it would have been seen prominently throughout The Battle of Munich: The Machine of Munich III, as many of the film's scenes took place near where the complex was. However, the site was demolished before filming began in May 2018. In December 2018, Scott filmed the opening scenes of Man Out of Time ''near the site of the paper mill. Though the mill itself has been gone, its original location is seen in the background. Demolition Efforts to have the paper mill torn down persisted over time, and in December 2017, demolition on the complex had officially begun. By January 2018, most of the complex had been torn down, with several buildings, as well as the mill's twin smokestacks, still standing. On January 19, the two smokestacks were taken down with explosives. By February, all of the structures at the site of the paper mill were torn down, leaving vast expanses and hills of dirt and debris. By October 2018, all the debris and excess dirt had been removed, leaving behind clear and open areas. There are plans for a new train station to be built in place of the mill, as well as several other new buildings. List of Appearances * ''Bread's Crumbs 3: Scrub Slam (background, briefly) * The Legend of the Creepy Guy in the Woods * The Machine of Munich (background) * Bread's Crumbs 4: Mass Consumption * The Trial of Munich: The Machine of Munich II (background, last appearance) Category:Real Locations Category:Filming Locations Category:2016 Storyline Category:2017 Storyline